MILNEWS.ca Blog

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 30 Jan 12

milnewsca — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:45:58 +0000

Afghanistan (1) “The commander of the Canadian army says he doubts the international community will have the cash or the political stomach after 2014 to sustain the sprawling Afghan security force being trained by NATO allies. Lt.-Gen. Peter Devlin, the chief of land staff, recently returned from Kabul where roughly 950 Canadians have settled in for a three-year stint under the newly-established training mission. Some of the questions on his mind during a round of meetings with NATO commanders involved whether the Afghan government will have the means of paying for an army and a police force that is expected to top out at 352,000 members. Devlin also wondered if the perceived threat from Taliban insurgents required building a force of that size. Current estimates from the country’s defence minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak, see the Afghans spending over $6.2 billion a year to pay and equip their forces. That’s in a country where the budget of the entire federal treasury is $4 billion much of that foreign aid. Devlin, who commanded NATO’s multi-national brigade in Kabul in 2003-04, said the shortfall needs to be recognized. “Is the international community willing to pay for that?” he asked, rhetorically, in a recent interview with The Canadian Press. “And I’m unsure they will be able to pay for that …. It’s my sense.” ….”
Afghanistan (2) Ooopsie…. “A Canadian Forces lieutenant-colonel will face a court martial in Gatineau next month in connection with the accidental firing of a rifle at Kabul International Airport. Lt.-Col. Gilles Fortin is the second senior officer to be charged with mishandling a firearm while in Afghanistan …. Lt.-Col. Fortin, a signals officer, was in Kabul last September as part of his work with NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre. A member of the centre’s joint training division, Fortin helped prepare incoming staff officers to take over jobs at ISAF headquarters in Kabul. Military prosecutors allege that on Sept. 1 last year, Fortin accidentally fired one round from his 9mm pistol at Kabul International Airport. He is charged with one count of neglect to the prejudice of good order and discipline, an offence under the National Defence Act ….”
What’s Canada Buying? Someone to train troops in martial arts at CFB Borden – more details here (PDF)
Mark Collins on why the Coast Guard’s 50th anniversary may not be its best.
Way Up North “The icebreaker at the heart of Canada’s premier Arctic science program has been pulled from service, leaving researchers scrambling to find other ships to take them to the North. The bright red Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen has become a familiar sight cruising the Arctic. It is a floating home and laboratory for researchers and students studying everything from Inuit health to the transformation underway in the Arctic environment. The ship is also to be featured on Canada’s new $50 bill. But it is now docked in Trois-Rivieres, Que., with four of its six engines “non-operational,” and in need of repairs expected to cost several million dollars and take at least a year. “Numerous repair scenarios are now being considered, but in all cases, the ship will be non-operational until late 2012 or early 2013,” Martin Fortier, executive director of ArcticNet, said in a memo recently sent to scientists who planned to use the ship this year ….”
Omar Khadr, back in (at least some of) the headlines thanks to a new book coming out. “In a revealing new book, The Enemy Within, the Sun’s Ezra Levant brings Omar Khadr’s story back into the public eye. Having completed his U.S. sentence in October 2011, Omar Khadr could return to Canada at any time. He may well be released, thanks to a lenient system that will likely credit him for the time he has served awaiting trial in Guantanamo Bay. With Parliament back in session, Levant brings his razor-sharp perspective to bear on a story that is vital to our notions of citizenship and justice, and to our national security ….”
‘As a Cold War-era fighter pilot, one of Chris Hadfield’s jobs was to intercept Soviet bombers nearing Canadian airspace to test North American air defences. Now, some of his best friends are Russian, the former Canadian Forces pilot and astronaut said. For a few years, the Sarnia native has been training to co-pilot the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with the flight’s Russian commander, Roman Romanenko. “We really respect one another. And, as astronauts, we understand the historical significance of what we are doing: we are leaving Earth as a species,” said Hadfield. The flight’s three-person crew, which includes NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn, will depart in November for the International Space Station, where they’ll live for six months as part of Expedition 34/35. Hadfield will take command of the station in March 2013, when American Commander Kevin Ford returns to Earth in a Soyuz. And, if all goes to plan, Hadfield will return in May 2013, landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 29 Jan 12

milnewsca — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:03 +0000

Way Up North “Soldiers have begun setting up a base camp just outside Yellowknife for Exercise Arctic Ram, which starts Feb. 14. The Canadian Forces have taken over part of the sand pits off Highway 3, a popular recreational area for Yellowknifers. An advance party of 60 soldiers drove from Edmonton, with stops in Peace River, Alta., and Hay River, N.W.T., and another 210 are expected over the weekend to set up support for the 1,500 military personnel that will be in the Tlicho region next month. “We’re setting up the work areas for when the main group comes in and we’re able to supply them with food and accommodations,” said Master Warrant Officer Douglas Pettie, sergeant major for the camp and the exercise’s Forward Support Group. “The main basis of this exercise is to test our men and equipment and our clothing in the north, because we’re normally in a much more southern wintertime climate, and it’s definitely very cold here” ….”
“In spite of ongoing assurances from Veterans Affairs that all veterans are properly cared for, veteran hospitals, and the generous suite of medical and holistic services they offer, remain closed to all veterans who joined after the Korean War. Instead, soldiers who joined the military after 1953, and are suffering from a service-related disability, or are simply in need of long-term care, are relegated to provincial health care, with the option of applying to Veterans Affairs Canada for any additional care to be delivered through the provincial system. It’s a two-tiered system that has veterans affairs advocates, including retired air force captain Sean Bruyea, pushing for changes that would allow all veterans access the same care. “All World War II veterans, whether they served two years in the front line, six months back home handing out army boots, or even two days in England un-crating Spam, were, and are, entitled to access to long-term care at veteran hospitals,” said Bruyea, who was released from the Canadian Forces mainly as a result of combat stress associated with serving in the first Gulf War. “Shouldn’t those who served in the field hospitals of the Gulf War, the Medak pocket of the former Yugoslavia and the hostile hills around Kandahar deserve the same assistance in both young and old age?” Bruyea asked ….”
Terry Glavin about why Canada should be careful about wanting to get too close to China and the PM’s, “…. unexplained and sudden embrace of a corporate entity run by the Chinese Communist Party that serves as the guarantor of Omar al-Bashir’s regime in Khartoum, the bottomless overdraft in Bashar al-Assad’s bank account in Damascus, and the specific means by which Tehran’s Khomeinists are evading the West’s sanctions and double-daring us into a war ….”
“Two federal ministers have put up a “not welcome” sign for members of Hamas, a banned terrorist group in Canada, who might attend an International Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Quebec City this fall. QMI Agency has obtained a letter that Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney have sent to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate. “We would also note that Canada is hosting the 127th IPU Assembly in Quebec City from October 21-26, 2012, and that the costs of this event are being borne virtually entirely by Canadian taxpayers,” said Baird and Kenney in the letter. “Should the IPU indicate to you that they are willing to welcome Hamas, we would suggest that Canada decline to host this meeting.” ….”
“Rumour has it Belhassen Trabelsi, the so-called “Godfather” of Tunisia, has left Montreal for Mexico, following in the footsteps of Moammar Gadhafi’s son in search of a country with lax anti-corruption and extradition laws. A newspaper in Tunisia reported two weeks ago that Trabelsi, whose fortune reportedly runs in the billions of dollars, first left Canada for Venezuela hoping for a warmer welcome, before settling on Mexico. There have been no sightings of him since. But rumours may just be rumours – and observers in Montreal believe Trabelsi is still in Canada, a hot potato the federal government probably wishes it could pass on to another country, as the Immigration, Foreign Affairs and Justice departments struggle to figure out what to do with him next ….” More on the missing Tunisian bad boy here, here and (with the usual Wikipedia caveats) here.

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 28 Jan 12

milnewsca — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:00:14 +0000

Afghanistan More Toronto Star push on the Afghan interpreter trying to get to Canada. “A Canadian Army commander and a senior diplomat denied a highly praised Afghan combat interpreter a Canadian visa after wrongly accusing him of taking his stalled case to the news media, an internal document shows. The former head of Canada’s elite special forces and our deputy ambassador to Afghanistan turned down Sayed Shah Sharifi’s visa application last fall, just weeks after complaining to the Star. They didn’t believe Sharifi’s claims that the Taliban want to kill him for assisting Canadian combat troops, an essential qualification for a visa under a special federal program. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced in 2009 that he wanted to protect Afghans who could show “individual risk” because they had worked with Canadians in Kandahar province, the Taliban heartland. Two members of the panel, called a “joint referral committee,” that decided Sharifi’s case are identified on an immigration department form as Col. J.P. Davis of the Canadian Army and Shelley Whiting, Canada’s deputy ambassador in Kabul. They also signed the document, dated Oct. 5, 2011, which tersely declares Sharifi “ineligible.” ….” Previous pushes via the paper here, here, here and here.
What’s Canada Buying? For Afghanistan: security system to let folks into/out of Afghanistan complexes, and IT networks to let allies keep in touch with each other.
No word on whether the CBC reporter in question is willing to share the “obtained” documents. “A Sea King emergency landing demonstration piloted by Prince William led to positive coverage in the media — for the helicopter. The Canadian Forces were pleased with the positive coverage given to the July 4, 2011 flight, according to documents released under federal Access to Information laws. The second in line to the British throne flew a Sea King over Dalvay Lake, P.E.I., as part of last year’s Royal Tour with his wife, Kate Middleton. The Duke of Cambridge is a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot and known professionally as Flight Lt. William Wales. The couple was well-received across Canada, drawing huge crowds on their nine-day tour. A brief email from the man who co-piloted the CH 124 helicopter notes the flight went “very well.” “Flight was conducted [in accordance with] normal [Waterbird standard operating procedures] and flight profile,” said an email about the flight ….”
“A U.S. Navy diver working from a Canadian ship off the North Carolina coast died during training operations Thursday, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command announced Friday. The diver’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The diver, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 12, was embarked on HMCS Summerside during preparations to take part in Bold Alligator, a major amphibious training exercise slated to begin Jan. 30. The diver was transported to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, N.C., and pronounced dead on arrival, said Lt. Cmdr. John Gay, a command spokesman ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 27 Jan 12

milnewsca — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:45:18 +0000

Where do we move those search-and-rescue planes? (BTW, no sign of the Toronto Star sharing the “obtained” report) “The military’s response to search-and-rescue calls could be improved by moving aircraft out of Canada’s largest East Coast base, according the air force’s most recent performance analysis. But the study finds little reason for a dedicated Arctic rescue team, despite high-profile disasters last year that led to renewed calls for a more robust northern presence. The report, obtained by the Star under the Access to Information Act, proposes moving two Hercules more than 600 kilometres north from their Nova Scotia home to Stephenville, N.L. The Greenwood, N.S., transport and rescue squadron has been based there since 1968, responsible for distress calls over an almost 5.2 million-square-kilometre area stretching from Quebec City east to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and from Nova Scotia north to Iqaluit. Using a formula that weighs geographic coverage of Canada with response times to distress calls, the 2011 report says the move could provide a substantial improvement in performance. An RCAF spokesperson said that the study, along with ongoing plans to purchase new search-and-rescue airplanes when the current fleets are removed from service between 2015 and 2017, will be used to determine the best locations for Canada’s search-and-rescue crews. “This study will be used with many others to inform future decisions on SAR basing,” Maj. Sonia Dumouchel Connock said in an email ….”
Libya New tyrants, same as the old tyrants? “The new leaders of Libya, helped to power by an air war waged by Canada and major allies, were denounced as torturers Thursday by major international groups. The Canadian leader of Amnesty International called on the Harper government to use its influence with Libya’s new transitional government to put an end to the abuse of prisoners, documented by the organization in a new report. And Doctors Without Borders said it was suspending its work in Libyan prisons because of rampant torture of detainees. The group said it was pulling out of the city of Misrata because some detainees were brought for care only to make them fit for further interrogation. Amnesty said several detainees have died after being subjected to torture in recent weeks and months, and cited wide-spread, ill-treatment of loyalists of deposed dictator, Moammar Gadhafi ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (1a) “U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed Thursday that $488 billion U.S. in Pentagon budget cuts will affect his country’s plans to purchase the troubled F-35 joint strike fighter — which likely will threaten Canada’s timeline for acquiring the stealth fighter as well ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (1b) “The federal government is reviewing Canada’s planned purchase of up to 65 F-35s after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed Thursday his country will be slowing production on the troubled stealth fighters. Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino said in a statement the government is still committed to the F-35 program, but that he had ordered defence department officials in Ottawa to investigate what implications the Pentagon’s decision would have on Canada ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (1c) Associate Minister Fantino’s update: “…. We continue to monitor the progress of the multinational Joint Strike Fighter Program closely and exercise responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ hard earned dollars. “That is why I have instructed officials to review the implications of the United States’ announcement on Canadian Forces’ readiness so that they may be incorporated into preparations for the replacement of our aging CF-18 fleet. “Information we have received indicates that the impact on Canada’s procurement plans is minimal at this stage. As has been the case up to the present, we will continue to monitor developments closely ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (2) “…. With U.S. defense budget cuts looming and many critics of the program still unconvinced, foreign support is a make-or-break issue for the program, which has been described as too big to fail. It could become the cornerstone of global air strategy for the next few decades, or a trillion-dollar bust. “The U.S. fighter jet industry has all of its eggs in this one basket,” said Richard Bitzinger, a security expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. So many countries have bought into the program, he said, there is now no realistic choice but to forge ahead with it. “It would be almost impossible for the U.S. to cancel the F-35, since the repercussions would be global,” he said ….”
“The manufacturer of the air force’s new maritime helicopter has told National Defence it will deliver only five test aircraft this year — opening the door to tens of millions of dollars in fines on a project the auditor general has said is late and over budget. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is supposed to deliver a “fully mission capable” version of the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter by June, or face a further $80 million in contract penalties on top of $8 million the federal government has already levied. Senior defence officials say safety certification of the aircraft is still ongoing and it’s highly unlikely the giant U.S. aircraft-maker will meet its target, even though the program is years behind schedule. “Sikorsky are only committing to deliver five by this year, which will be training aircraft,” said a high-level defence source, who spoke to The Canadian Press on the condition of anonymity. The Cyclones are the highly touted replacement for the CH-124 Sea Kings, which will mark a milestone 50 years in service in 2013 ….”
What’s Canada Buying? Someone to carry out “analysis and software development in order to prototype a system that makes use of various COTS and OEM software used in mine countermeasures (MCM) operations …. to demonstrate ene-to-end MCM operation with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles …. ” and someone to “…. design and fabricate an underwater magnetic signature collection system which is essentially the array and the associated interface components and connecting cables …. in support of the Halifax Class Modernization Project (to) be used to measure the magnetic signature of Canadian warships when they are deployed on operations around the world ….”
Happy 50th, Canadian Coast Guard, from the PM and the Defence Minister!
“The family of a woman murdered by convicted sex killer Russell Williams is suing the former military commander and his estranged wife. Williams, who was once a rising star in the Canadian Forces, was sentenced to life in prison in October 2010 after pleading guilty to the murders of Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau. Lloyd’s brother, Andy, says he and Lloyd’s mother, Roxanne, have filed a statement of claim in Belleville’s Ontario Superior Court of Justice which, among other details, seeks damages for the mental suffering they say they’ve had to endure. Andy Lloyd, 31, says the family wants a fast resolution to the suit so that they can put the experience behind them and move on with their lives. He says the last two years have been “quite a struggle” and both he and his mother are seeing counsellors for the depression they’ve had to deal with ….” More on this here.
“Five years after Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a historic apology to Chinese Canadians, a new photo exhibition opened today in Vancouver honouring the history of World War II veterans of Chinese heritage. Nearly 100 people packed into the exhibit launch of the multi-room archive of photographs, anecdotes and documents – titled Chinese Canadian Veterans: Loyalty to Country – today at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Roughly a quarter were veterans themselves, many of whom guided visitors around the exhibit and shared their stories of both heroism and discrimination ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 26 Jan 12

milnewsca — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:45:33 +0000

Afghanistan (1) A more complete explanation of a YouTube video that isn’t what some nut job says it is.
Afghanistan (2) A Canadian officer on why it’s important that Afghan troops being trained need to be able to read and write, even just a bit. “…. Imagine what happens when a soldier who cannot read or count gets an order to collect 20 boxes of ammunition from a truck with the plate number AB55519Q. Unable to recognize letters and numbers, the bewildered soldier would not be able to complete this basic task. Barely 15 percent of ANA recruits can read or write at Grade One level. By the time they have completed eight weeks of BWT, nearly 90 percent have learned to read and write at that basic level. This may not seem like a great achievement by Canadian standards but, considering where these soldiers begin, it is significant. Literacy training is also a recruiting tool, attracting Afghans who want an education that is not readily available outside the Army ….”
Afghanistan (3) The story behind one of the medals being awarded at the G-G’s place today – well done all!
Afghanistan (4) Orchestral music (and words) to honour the Afghan mission. “It’s the Calgary Philharmonic’s biggest commission so far: a war requiem aimed at capturing some of the drama, heartbreak and profound loss that is the Canadian battle for peace in one of the most wartorn areas in the world. When completed, the hour-long piece, provisionally entitled Afghanistan: Requiem for a Generation, will embrace the combined musical forces of the orchestra, the CPO Chorus, the Cantare Children’s Choir and four soloists. It’s set to debut Nov. 10 …. The words of inspiration for Ryan’s music come from poems, diary entries and blogs written by established Vancouver writer Suzanne Steele, one of five Canadian artists — and the first poet — to be chosen as an official “war artist” in the Canadian Forces Artist Program ….”
MORE Canadian sanctions against Syria!
Naval Espionage Case Ya think?!? “Expert: Spy case worries military”
One former officer’s opinion: “…. Canada’s regular army is currently too small to carry out assigned domestic and overseas tasks. Not to have any mobilization capability to expand it in time of crisis or emergency would thus be strategic folly …. The history of increasing army reserve strength has also been marked by foot-dragging. The current government must now recognize that regular forces are too small to achieve its domestic and international goals and embrace the concept of a strategic reserve as the only affordable option.”
More on Canada-U.S. co-operation deals: “Canada and the U.S. have finalized one agreement and renewed another to better co-ordinate civilian and military forces against threats. Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking Tuesday night to a group of defence officials, diplomats and civil servants, said the two countries were expected Wednesday to renew the Civil Assistance Plan and sign off on the Combined Defence Plan. His office confirmed Wednesday they had been signed. The civil assistance agreement lets military personnel and equipment deploy rapidly to humanitarian events, MacKay said in notes prepared for his speech to the Permanent Joint Board on Defence. “In the event of floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, or to assist in the aftermath of a terrorist attack — military members from one nation will be ready to support the armed forces of the other, all supporting lead civilian agencies,” he said. The defence agreement sets out the authority and means for the two countries to approve homeland military operations against threats, as well as the process for sharing information ….” More here.
Way Up North “Firefighters at Canadian Forces Station Alert in the Arctic are anxiously awaiting a special delivery. On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Sgt. Steve Lewington — the fire chief there until Feb. 15 — will receive the first of three brand new KME Force air-deployable crash trucks (or aircraft rescue fire fighting trucks) being delivered aboard either a C-130J Hercules or C-17 Globemaster to the Arctic station to replace the current Oshkosh T-1000 trucks that were delivered to the northern military station in March 2010 ….”
What’s Canada Buying? Someone to provide “remediation activities at the FOX-E Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line Site on Durban Island and the former US Coast Guard Weather Station on Padloping Island, Nunavut.” Previous MERX listing (July 2011) here.
F-35 Tug o’ War F-35 sales team shares small-town paper’s coverage of all the benefits of the program.
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Former African AQ prisoner Robert Fowler speaks to the BBC (.mp3, first 10 minutes) about being held hostage for about five months. Fowler on his kidnappers/AQ: “It’s all about religion. I think among ‘securocrats’, there’s somewhat of a debate about whether these guys are bandits flying an Islamic flag of convenience or rather, they are some kind of twisted, latter-day Robin Hoods doing a little banditry and kidnapping to fund their jihad. I think a lot of people would like to believe it’s the former, but I know it’s the second.”
Minister MacKay: Way to go CF blood donors!
“On a spring day in the hills near Valencia, Jules Paivio stood before a firing squad. The young Canadian was a long way from home, the woods of Northern Ontario, but he was ready to meet death. He had known when he volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War, in the fall of 1936, that he probably wouldn’t return alive. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, Mr. Paivio and several fellow prisoners raised their fists in a show of defiance. But a sudden stroke of luck saved his life. In fact, Mr. Paivio came out of the war unscathed. Today, he is the last surviving Canadian brigadista – one of the men and women who came from around the world to defend Spain’s fledgling republic from the fascism of General Francisco Franco. More than 1,500 Canadians joined these International Brigades, but for decades they received little recognition. They had fought in a conflict in which their government took no part, and most were committed socialists, viewed with suspicion during the Cold War. Even today, their contributions to one of the 20th century’s great battles against tyranny is often overlooked here. But Spain has not forgotten. On Thursday, it will honour Mr. Paivio by granting him citizenship at a ceremony in Toronto ….” More on the man here and here, with a bit of a documentary on him here.

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 25 Jan 12

milnewsca — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:45:15 +0000

Naval Espionage Case Another “routine posting change” for another Soviet military-diplomatic official in Ottawa.
Fixing an oopsie. “Work is proceeding on the submarine HMCS Corner Brook after some highly visible manoeuvring last week to get it positioned for repair. The vessel, one of the Royal Canadian Navy’s four Victoria-class submarines, was damaged last June when it hit bottom during a training session off Nootka Sound, B.C. The results of a naval inquiry, released last month, said the incident was caused by human error. Lack of training and experience were cited as factors. Capt. Luc Cassivi, deputy commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific, said moving the submarine was a necessary step to allow an overview of engineering requirements and cost estimates related to its repair. “We needed to get her high and dry to be able to make all of those assessments.” ….”
Canada’s Defence Minister talks to people about the Canada-U.S. relationship. “The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, will today deliver a keynote address in Ottawa to members of the Permanent Joint Board on Defence (PJBD), the highest-level bilateral defence and security forum between the United States and Canada. Addressing an audience of prominent senior military officers, government officials and diplomats, Minister MacKay will speak about the importance of the PJBD forum for Canada’s defence relations with the United States. This unique forum, created in 1940, has examined virtually every important joint defence measure undertaken since the end of the Second World War. Today, it continues to serve as a strategic-level consultative body on matters affecting the defence and security of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere ….” More on Canada-U.S. military links here, and more from the media here.
“Canada and the U.S. are set to finalize a new Combined Defence Plan on Wednesday to defend North America from outside threats. Defence Minister Peter MacKay delivered the news Tuesday evening to a high-level meeting of Canadian and American military officials behind closed doors in Ottawa. “This agreement provides a framework for the combined defence of Canada and the U.S. during peace, contingencies, and war,” said MacKay in his prepared remarks to the Permanent Joint Board on Defence. “The plan describes the authorities and means by which the two governments would approve homeland military operations in the event of a mutually agreed threat, and how our two militaries would collaborate and share information.” ….” More on this here.
Speaking of the U.S., some say it’s time for allies of the Americans to step up – and some doubt this’ll happen.
Governor General giving out military awards at Rideau Hall tomorrow – congrats to all recipients!
“The Canadian Paralympic Committee is looking forward to an exciting week as Canada is hosting a group of 16 ill and injured military personnel from across Canada and Great Britain together in British Columbia to take part in a pioneering winter multi-sport introduction program. The program has been created for ill and injured military personnel from the organizations Battle Back in the UK and Soldier On in Canada. Eight Canadian and eight British service personnel arrived in Whistler, B.C. on Sunday and are participating in an eight-day program that introduces them to a range of adaptive winter sports and recreational activities ….”
Again with the Canadian Officer Training Corps in universities? “The time is right to re-establish the Canadian Officers Training Corps program at universities, according to defence experts. Lee Windsor, deputy director of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick, said the program came across with good benefits for a comparatively small investment …. The Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) recently commended the Senate standing committee on national security and defence for its interim report on the future role of Canada’s Primary Reserve. It recommended the Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces consider re-establishing a military presence on the campuses of educational institutions …. Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s director of communications, Jay Paxton, said the Canadian Forces maintain a presence at Canadian universities similar to that provided by the cadet officer training corps in forms more suitable to today’s environment. One plan allows local reserve units to engage full-time university students as officers in the primary reserve, he said. “During the academic year, these officers parade or train with their units and, in summer, they undertake full-time military training and employment,” Paxton said. “Another plan, called the regular officer training plan, is designed to support officer cadets at university. Under this plan, officer cadets train in the summer, study during the school year and, upon graduation, transfer to the regular force.” ….”
Royal Military College professor: peacekeeping is really counterinsurgency. “…. A Canadian professor who teaches a course on peace missions at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, (Walter) Dorn is the author of Keeping Watch: Monitoring, Technology & Innovation in UN Peace Operations. Dorn intends with his new book to make UN peacekeeping operations “more effective”, in terms of offering security for civilian populations facing warring factions or humanitarian disasters in a country like the Congo. For instance, the modestly sized UN force of 22,000 uniformed personnel in the DRC “has been a very important stabilising force”, Dorn says. But he adds the UN soldiers’ failure to a stop a 2008 massacre of at least 150 civilians in the eastern Congo village of Kiwanja despite the presence of peacekeepers a kilometre away stems from a still existing failure by the contributors of United Nations soldiers to take full advantage of affordable surveillance and communication technology for ground operations. “In many of the developing countries where the majority of peacekeepers are today, they don’t have a familiarity with the technology,” Dorn adds. A Canadian military historian at the Royal Military College in Canada in the city of Kingston, Ontario, counters that UN military missions are really counterinsurgency operations. “In the Congo, the UN is not exactly neutral, going after militias on behalf of the government,” says Sean Maloney, a professor at the Royal Military College in Kingston Ontario ….”
Russell Williams Saga (1) “The wife of serial sex killer Russell Williams lost an appeal Tuesday to keep private personal information related to her divorce proceedings. The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a number of non-publication and sealing orders issued by Ontario Superior Court Justice Jennifer Mackinnon relating to a divorce application to be filed by Williams’s wife. The sealing order and publication bans prevented the reporting of her name, address, contact information, the name of her employer, her income and expenses, medical information and her domestic contract with Williams. The judge also forbade publication of a photograph or likeness of Williams’s wife, who can only be identified as M.E.H. in relation to the case, and sealed a contentious domestic contract executed weeks after Williams was charged ….”
Russell Williams Saga (2) “The estranged wife of convicted sex killer Russell Williams plans to fight a decision by Ontario’s top court that would open up her divorce proceedings to public scrutiny. Mary Jane Binks, the Ottawa lawyer representing Williams’ wife, said her client will ask to take the matter to the country’s highest court. “We’re going to be seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada,” Binks told The Canadian Press ….”
“An Ottawa man serving a life sentence for terrorism has been attacked in prison in Quebec. Momin Khawaja’s father confirmed reports that his son was scalded with hot water and further assaulted by a fellow inmate. Khawaja received burns to 60 to 70 per cent of his body. The attack took place at the federal Special Handling Unit, the super-maximum-security prison in Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., the Ottawa Citizen reported. It happened Jan. 16 as inmates were preparing snacks before returning to their cells for the night. Khawaja’s father Mahboob told CBC News that his son told him his attacker was Zakaria Amara, another inmate convicted of terrorism in the plot to set off three bombs in Toronto. An Ottawa software developer and the first person ever charged under Canada’s anti-terror laws, Khawaja was found guilty of five charges of financing and facilitating terrorism and two Criminal Code offences related to building a remote-control device that could trigger bombs ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 24 Jan 12

milnewsca — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:45:56 +0000

Naval Espionage Case (1) “A Canadian navy intelligence officer charged with giving military secrets to the Russian government is on the hunt for a new lawyer. Cameron MacKeen withdrew as Sub-Lt. Jeffrey Paul Delisle’s legal counsel Monday afternoon in Halifax provincial court. Delisle, 40, was not in the courtroom for the lawyer’s application, which was a last-minute addition to the docket. A bail hearing had been slated for Wednesday, but MacKeen told the court that Delisle wished to have it rescheduled for six to eight weeks from now. Federal Crown attorney Peter Chisholm objected to the matter being discussed without the accused in attendance, so the judge ordered a recess to see if Delisle could appear by video or telephone from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth. An hour later, correctional officials permitted Delisle to phone the courtroom. After talking to MacKeen in private for a few minutes, Delisle took part in the hearing by speakerphone. MacKeen asked that the case be adjourned until Feb. 28 for the setting of a date for a bail hearing. The judge obliged after confirming with Delisle that he could hear things clearly and understood what was going on ….” More here.
Naval Espionage Case (2) Only makes sense, right? “The Canadian military has evacuated staff from the Halifax naval intelligence facility where a sailor accused of espionage was working before his arrest. The Department of National Defence said authorities are conducting a security sweep of HMCS Trinity to see whether this confidential communication centre has been compromised ….” More here.
Afghanistan Knob on YouTube claims Canadians blow up Afghan house “for fun”, Globe & Mail shares minimalist denial from CF.
Way Up North On the road. “Hundreds of military vehicles and personnel are beginning a three-day trek from CFB Edmonton to Yellowknife to test themselves and their gear in a harsh winter environment …. The training exercise called ARCTIC RAM 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group’s first to be conducted in the Northwest Territories. Exercise ARCTIC RAM, from Feb. 14 to 26, will re-familiarize soldiers with northern operations by assessing their ability to operate in a cold winter climate ….”
“The Harper government has wanted the navy to play a bigger role in battling Somali pirates in the waters off East Africa, but has been stymied about what to do with potential prisoners, documents reveal. The international effort to contain the pirating of commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and beyond is something Canada “strongly supports” and it provides the perfect, low-risk venue for the country to showcase its military ability. A series of briefing notes, obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information from Defence Minister Peter MacKay’s office and the chief of maritime staff, show the eagerness over the last two years to take on a renewed mission. But the enthusiasm is tempered by the reality that once caught, there’s no place to try pirates. “While international law provides that any state may take jurisdiction over piracy in international water, counter-piracy efforts off the coast of Somalia continue to be hampered by a lack of authority in domestic laws, as well as by questions concerning jurisdiction over apprehended individuals suspected of piracy and related crimes,” said Nov. 3, 2010 memo to Robert Fonberg, the deputy defence minister ….”
A reminder: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and Canada’s constitution, guarantees the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. More charges laid against medic. “The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) charged on Friday a former Canadian Forces Medical Technician for incidents alleged to have occurred while he performed medical exams at a Naval Reserve unit in Thunder Bay and at the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre in London. Ex-Petty Officer, 2nd class (PO 2) James Wilks was charged with the following: four counts of Sexual Assault, contrary to section 130 of the National Defence Act, and pursuant to section 271 of the Criminal Code; and ten counts of Breach of Trust, contrary to section 130 of the National Defence Act, and contrary to section 122 of the Criminal Code ….” More here and here.
“The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walt Natynczyk, joined his NATO counterparts for the 166th meeting of NATO’s Chiefs of Defence in Brussels, Belgium, last week. Immediately following the two days of NATO meetings and presentations he travelled to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg where he met with Mr. Jean-Marie Halsdorf, the country’s Minister of Defence and Minister for Home Affairs and the Greater Region, as well as General Gaston Reinig, its Chief of Defence ….”
How one Canadian company’s faring. “Despite defence contractors’ fear that military budget cuts worldwide will sideswipe them, CAE Inc. appears to be holding its own so far. In fact, the St. Laurent flight-simulator and training services firm has announced three military orders since September valued at $325 million, including another one Wednesday for $100 million. The latter is to provide upgrades for simulators for Canadian Forces CC-130H, a military transport aircraft, and for the CH-146 (Griffon) helicopters; long-term simulator maintenance and support services for Malaysia’s AgustaWestland 139 choppers; maintenance trainers for Tornado attack jets for the German Air Force and Britain’s Royal Air Force; and CAE 3000 Series helicopter simulator and training services for undisclosed customers. CAE spokesperson Nathalie Bourque said that “armed forces are recognizing that we save them a lot of money on wear and tear. Training on a simulator is 10 times less expensive than training on an actual aircraft. So we are part of the solution to their problems.” Michael Willemse of Toronto brokerage CIBC World Markets agreed with that, adding that “simulation actually helps the military cut costs – it’s much cheaper.” He said that CAE usually generates about $250 million of orders per quarter on the military side. CAE’s $1.63 billion in sales last year were roughly divided equally between military and civil products and services ….”
“Léon Mugesera, the long-time Quebec City resident accused of genocide in Rwanda, is expected to land in Kigali late on Tuesday, according to Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Louise Mushikiwabo. Mugesera lost his final bid to avoid deportation on Monday when the Federal Court dismissed a motion for a stay of deportation, and by late afternoon, he was put on a plane headed for Rwanda’s capital city. “Léon Mugesera is now airbound for Kigali!” Mushikiwabo tweeted late Monday night, Kigali time. “Thank ordinary people in Canada who saw through confusion in [the] international legal labyrinth and said, ‘he must go.’” ….” More here, here and here.
“Chatter broke out as Kimberly Fawcett and Kathy Chase greeted each other in a crowded downtown restaurant Saturday. The women, both Canadian Forces soldiers, have a rare bond. Fawcett, 43, is a captain stationed in Ottawa and an accomplished tri-athlete and sprinter. Almost six years ago, Fawcett was preparing to leave for Afghanistan when tragedy struck. Stationed at CFB Kingston at the time, she was taking her infant son, Keiran, to a relative’s home in the city on Feb. 21, 2006. An accident on the icy road ahead of her forced her to a stop. Fearing another collision, Fawcett got out her vehicle with her son and climbed an embankment near the road. Moments later, a driver lost control of his vehicle and struck the pair, killing baby Keiran and forcing the amputation of her right leg up to the hip. Using physical sport to deal with the grief and stress in the aftermath, she soon excelled as a world-class parathlete …. The pair, along with eight others, are set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in February in support of the ParAthletes of Canada Foundation, which supports athletes, including those who have had a limb amputated, who are in need of an assistive device to enable them to participate fully in competitive sport ….”

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 23 Jan 12

milnewsca — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:45:06 +0000

Naval Espionage Case (1) One should be careful about linking events that may have already been underway to stuff one knows about now. “An unfolding spy drama involving a junior Canadian officer comes amid a determined effort by the Royal Canadian Navy to improve and expand its own intelligence capacity. Over the last two years, military planners working for the head of the navy have been drawing a “road map” in order to provide decision-makers and warships at sea with better information on possible threats to domestic waters and among international shipping lanes, a series of internal documents reveal. The strategy was widely circulated among senior echelons of the navy in 2010, according to a briefing list obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information laws. It could prove to be an intelligence bonanza in the wrong hands, providing insight into how Canadians gather their information. Neither the Harper government, nor National Defence will say whether Sub-Lt. Jeffery Delisle had access to the strategy — or early drafts of it. Just what a potential spy might have been after and for whom has been the subject of frenzied speculation. Officials have refused to discuss any and all aspects of the case ….” 1) Correlation =/= causality 2) If the strategy had any REAL secrets in it, it wouldn’t have been released under Access to Information legislation. 3) No sign of CP sharing the “obtained” documents yet.
Naval Espionage Case (2) More on one of the non-expelled Russians, including something from someone who attended his going away party, and the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Twitter statement on the issue: “Canadian media reports of Russian diplomats being expelled from #Canada are surprising, as they left in 2011 on completing their secondment”
Naval Espionage Case (3) Now some media are speculating about where the accused MIGHT have been?
What Canada’s up to with the U.N. in Sudan – more on Canada’s Operation Soprano here. Also, check out the second photo in the article in the first link. Is “Major Ed Smith” the same guy who helped out some intern students in Cameroon during some unpleasantness there a few years ago? A repeated “well done” on that.
Way Up North Northern Ontario troops get ready for working in the even-further north. “As if January in Northwestern Ontario isn’t cold enough, two reserve soldiers with Kenora’s 116th Independent Field Battery have volunteered for Arctic Ram; a joint winter combat operations exercise taking place northwest of Yellowknife from Feb. 17 to 27. Bombardier Kyle Friesen and Bombardier Brandon Thompson prepared for the deployment by taking part in the Winter Warfare training course in Kenora this week. The course attracted 16 participants who practised with snowshoes and equipment sleds. Their training continues at CFB Shilo in Manitoba this weekend where they will earn their military snowmobile operators certification ….”
Taliban Propaganda Watch How the Taliban Info-machine takes a wacky story about ISAF troops in diapers from the Pakistani media and helps spread the (incorrect) word.

TALIBAN PROPAGANDA WATCH: Timeline of “NATO in Diapers” Claims

milnewsca — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:34:04 +0000

You’ve read about the Taliban bodies that don’t decay – now we have ISAF troops in diapers.

Here’s how the latest nose-stretcher got rolling:

6 Jan 12: Pakistani media carry goofy story about NATO troops wearing diapers in Afghanistan, and how convoys being stuck in Pakistan are delaying the Papmers deliveries.
8 Jan 12: U.S. officials deny the troops need diapers.
9 Jan 12: Blogger dissects how Pakistani “journalist” may have found the diaper info before he shared it with the world.
22 Jan 12: The Taliban Info-machine shares the latest on ISAF troops fighting in diapers!

You can download all the above-listed material here (15 page PDF) if any of the links above don’t work.

Keep enjoying the lies!

MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 22 Jan 12

milnewsca — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:00:20 +0000

Naval Espionage Case Guess who’s NOT giving the story much coverage? “Russian media has had next to no reaction to reports this week by Canadian news outlets that four Russian diplomats, all military attachés, were expelled from Canada as spies. Two days after Canadian media broke the news about the expelled Russian diplomats, not a single Russian newspaper or news agency mentioned the episode, other than to report the muted official response that the diplomats were, in any case, scheduled to return home ….”
Afghanistan One soldier’s story as his tour begins to wind down. “…. I look back at my first days at Regional Training Centre – North and the slow, tentative steps taken to earn the trust and respect of the Afghans who I work with every day. Our first few conversations were just like starting a new job back home and meeting co-workers for the first time. I was reserved. I talked about where I came from and my experiences. I work with an ANA First Sergeant who worked with a Canadian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team in Kandahar province in 2008, and I had experience serving with Afghans during my previous tours. This really helped break the ice for me and my team during our first days. I have learned that Afghans may not do things exactly like we would at home, but they still get results. They are masters of fixing immediate problems when they appear. The old saying that patience is a virtue is one of the truest things that can be said about working with Afghans. The ANA works at a different speed than we do at home and sometimes results are measured not in hours or days, but in weeks or months ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (1) How’s it going in the U.S.? “Now that the F-35 joint strike fighter program has gotten a pat on the back and morale boost from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, officials at Lockheed Martin hope to put their recent run of bad report cards and bad press behind them. All those problems with the F-35 that have been reported of late? They’re not that bad; they’re being fixed. Just watch, they say. “We’re starting to see a lot of good stuff happening,” Tom Burbage, Lockheed’s co-executive vice president and general manager overseeing the F-35 program, said in an interview last week. That view would seem at odds with recent Defense Department reports and officials’ comments. An internal Pentagon report leaked last month cited numerous shortcomings in the testing performance of the three versions of the F-35, some key components and the design of the aircraft ….”
F-35 Tug o’ War (2) Associate Minister Fantino happy to see Americans go ahead with F-35 version Canada isn’t even buying – more here.
Oopsie…. “It seems the Maltese revel in their peace and quiet — even when it’s at sea. A Canadian warship on its way to the eastern Mediterranean caused a bit of ruckus off the island nation. Earlier this week, the Halifax-based frigate HMCS Charlottetown conducted a small-arms firing exercise on the deck of the ship, which is routine training for the counter-terrorism mission the ship is about to begin. Sailors were firing 9 mm pistols towards the empty ocean when they were ordered to stop. Lt. Mark Fifield, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Navy in Ottawa, says Maltese Coast Guard officials hadn’t authorized the exercise and shut it down after being notified over the radio. Under international convention, warships conducting any firing drills in the waters of other countries are required to warn other vessels in the area and the host nation. Fifield said the skipper of the Charlottetown didn’t realize his warship had crossed into Maltese waters, but added that the radio warning had still been broadcast. “No other vessels were in proximity to Charlottetown at the time of the incident and there was no risk to public safety,” he said ….”